Fountain washer



Oct. 8, 1940. o. N, ACREY 2,217,092

- FOUNTAIN WASHER Fil'ed oct, 31, 1938 1.9 75 'I Fig.1 n...

MW I fluillflcrey.

Patented Oct. 8, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FOUNTAIN WASHER,

Ollie N. Acrey, Dallas, Tex.

Application October 31, 1938, Serial No. 238,104

5 Claims.

This invention relates to a fountain washer, and it is one object of theinvention to provide a device of this character which is so constructedthat, when it is placed in a pan or other suitable water container andclothes placed in the pan, the water when heated to a suificienttemperature may move upwardly through a tubular column or flue and bedischarged as a fountain from the upper end thereof into the pan fordownward passage through the clothes in the pan. It will thus be seenthat a circulation of water through the clothes will be established anddirt dislodged and carried ofi from the clothes.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of this characterwherein the column or flue is formed of sections having telescopingengagement with each other so that the device may be provided with acolumn of a desired height by merely making use of the proper number oftelescoping sections. It will thus be seen that the device may beprovided with a short column for use in a shallow pan or a tall columnfor use in a deep pan.

Another object of the invention is to provide the device with animproved form of base having channels therein for conducting water fromopenings in the peripheral wall of the base to the lower end of thevertically extending flue or column. It will thus be seen that the waterwill be conducted through the base to the column in a very efi ectivemanner.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of this characterwherein the base has bafile plates extending inwardly from oppositesides of the inlet openings into the channels leading to the lower endof the column or flue and serving to retard outward movement of waterthrough the channels towards the inlet openings in the walls of thebase. It will thus be seen that directional movement of the hot waterthrough the channels will be controlled and a proper circulation ofwater established.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of this characterwhich is quite simple in construction and so formed that the flue orcolumn may be taken apart and together with the base stored in a verysmall box;

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is a sectional view taken vertically through the improvedfountain washer and showing the same in position for use in a'pan, and

Figure 2 is a bottom plan view of the washer fountain.

This improved fountain washer is to be placed in a pan l which may beformed with deep walls, as shown in Figure 1, or with walls of lessdepth to provide a shallow pan. The base 2 of the fountain is preferablyformed of strong sheet metal, although any desirable material may beused, and this base has a downwardly flaring annular wall 3 cut to formside openings 4 and bafile plates or gates 5 which extend inwardly .fromopposite side edges of the opening. A I strip of channeled metal 6having depending side walls, corresponding to the depth of the base,extends diametrically through the base between opposed side openings 4where it is secured by bolts 1 passed through the top of the base, and

midway its length the strip of channeled metal metal 6, and in ordertosecure the strips of 25 channeled metal 8, bolts 1' are employed whichare passed through the top of the base. I It will thus be seen thatthere has been provided an insert which is removably secured in the baseby the bolts 1 and 1', and since it is cross shaped as 30 shown inFigure 2, it provides a plurality of channels II) which extend radiallyof the base from the inlet openings 4 to a central portion ll formedwith an opening l2 to receive a neck 13 which projects upwardly from thecenter of the base through an opening l4 formed therein. .This neck hasa circumferentially extending flange 15 about its inner or lower endwhich is soldered against the under face of the top wall of thechanneled strip H] to firmly mount the neck. A flue or tubular column Itextends upwardly from the neck and consists of companion tube sections Hwhich have telescoping engagement with each other, the lower tubesection having its lower end fitted about the neck so that the tubesections will be supported in an upright position, and the neck may, ineffect, constitute a portion of the fiue or column. A removable head orcap I8 is provided for the upper end of the column l6 and consists of atop plate I!) connected with a collar 20 by a suitable number of' arms2| which are spaced from each other circumferentially of the collar andthe plate l9. This head or cap is applied with collar fitting about theupper end of the col-' gs umn, and when water flows upwardly through thecolumn and strikes the under face of the plate l9, it will be deflectedoutwardly and downwardly between the arms 2| and thus form a fountainspray which descends into the pan. If a deep pan is being used, the twotube sections I! will both be applied, but if a shallow pan is beingused, only one tube section will be made use of. It will thus be seenthat the height of the flue or column may be regulated according to thedepth of the pan.

When this fountain washer is in use, the base is placed in the pancentrally thereof and a suitable number of tube sections I! applied toform a flue or column of the desired, height, the cap l8 being thenapplied to the top of the column. Water is poured into the pan until itis filled to the desired depth and the clothesbeing washed placed in thepan about the base and the column. The pan is then placed upon a stoveor over any other suitable source of heatand, when the water becomes hotenough, it will flow upwardly through the column and be dischargedthrough the cap'as a descending spray. The water moves downwardlythrough the clothes and inwardly through the openings 4 to take theplace of the water which passes upwardly through the column and acirculation of water is thus established which flows through the clothesand removes dirt therefrom. During heating water has a tendency to takethe path of least resistance which, in this case, would be outwardlythrough the openings 4, but since-there have been provided baflle platesat opposite'sides of the openings and these plates extend inwardly inconverging relation to each other, water which may attempt to flowoutwardly through the radiating channels will be deflected by the plates5 and eddy currents created which will direct the water towards theinner ends of the channels ID and thus cause it to flow upwardly throughthe neck l3 and the tubular column and out through the cap at the upperend of the column. After the clothes have been washed, the fountainspray device will be removed from the pan I and the cap and tubesections I! removed so that these elements and the base may bethoroughly dried. The dismembered spray device may then be placed in asmall box and put away until again needed. If it is found that dirt hasaccumulated in cracks along edges of the channeled strips, the bolts 1and I may be removed and thus release the channeled members from thebase so that these channeled members and the base may be thoroughlycleaned and then reassembled and secured by the bolts. A very goodfountain washer has thus been produced which is of a simplifiedconstruction and by means of which clothes may be washed in any pan intowhich the fountain washer may be placed.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. A device of the character described comprising a hollow base of adiameter adapting it to be placed within a pan and having a top wall anda peripheral wall to rest upon the bottom of the pan, the base beingformed with inlet openings through its peripheral wall and an outletthrough its top wall, channeled members extending diametrically throughsaid base from the inlet openings to the outlet and constituting bracesfor the base having their lower edges flush with the lower edge of theperipheral wallof the base for resting upon the bottom of the pan, a

tubular column extending upwardly from the wardly therefrom.

outlet, and a cap at the upper end of said column constituting adeflector for directing liquid passing up through the column outwardlyand downwardly therefrom.

2. A device of the character described compris ing a hollow base of adiameter adapting it to be placed Within a container and rest upon thebottom thereof, said base having side inlets and an upper outlet,channels in the base for conducting liquid from the inlets tothe outlet,baflies extending from opposite sides of the inlets into the channelslongitudinally thereof and converging inwardly, a tubular columnextending upwardly from the outlet, and a deflector at the upper end ofsaid column for directing liquid flowing upwardly through the columnoutwardly and down wardly therefrom.

3. A device of the character described comprising a hollow base open atits bottom and of ;a diameter adapting it to be placed within acontainer and rest upon the bottom thereof, said base having inletopenings at its side and an outlet through its top, channeled membersextending radially in the base for conducting liquid from the inlet tothe outlet, the channeled members corresponding in depth to the base andconstituting bracing means for the base, bafile plates extendinginwardly into end portions of the channeled members from opposite sideedges of the inlet openings and converging inwardly for counteractingflow of liquid outwardly through the channels, a tubular columnextending upwardly from the outlet, and a deflector at the upper end ofsaid column for directing liquid flowing upwardly through the colunmoutwardly and downwardly therefrom.

4. A device of the character described comprising a hollow base of adiameter adapting it to be placed within a container and rest upon thebottom thereof, said base having an outlet at its top and having aperipheral Wall cut to form tongues, one tongue being bent inwardly toprovide inlet openings and form deflector plates extending inwardly fromthe peripheral wall at opposite sides of the inlet openings, channeledmembers in said base having their ends abutting the peripheral wall inenclosing relation to the inlet openings and the baffle plates andconstituting means for directing liquid from the inlet openings to theoutlet, a tubular column extending upwardly from the outlet, and meansat the upper end of the column for directing liquid flowing upwardlythrough the column outwardly and downwardly therefrom.

5. A device of the character described comprising a hollow base of adiameter adapting it to be placed within a receptacle and rest upon thebot-' tom thereof, said base having side inlets and a center openingthrough its top, a channeled strip extending through the base betweencertairT of the inlets and having side openings intermediate its length,other channeled strips secured through the side openings of the firstchanneled strip and extending laterally therefrom with their outer endsenclosing other inlet openings, a neck carried by the first channeledstrip between the side openings thereof and wardly therefrom, and meansat the upper end of said column for deflecting liquid moving up-' wardlythrough the column outwardly and downomn N.,-AoRriY."

extending upwardly through the center opening of the base, a tubularcolumn carried by said neck and extending up-L i

